1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel technique associated with a support structure for supporting an engine exhaust pipe on a body of a motor vehicle, while reducing vibrations of the vehicle body.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, while a motor vehicle is running or in an engine idling condition, a body of the vehicle is subjected to shakes from a drive line including an engine, and/or shakes applied from a road surface through a suspension system, whereby bending or flexural vibrations take place in the vehicle body. The bending or flexural vibrations of the vehicle body cause vibrations of a floor panel, a steering shaft and other members of the vehicle, resulting in reduction in the driving comfort and controllability of the vehicle.
To solve the above problem, the motor vehicle conventionally employs vibration isolating members made of rubber, for example, which are interposed between the vehicle body and the drive line members such as an engine and a muffler, and between the vehicle body and components of the suspension system such as suspension rods and arms. The vibration isolating members are intended to prevent transmission of the vibrations from the drive line and suspension system to the vehicle body, so as to reduce the vibrations of the vehicle body.
However, the above-described vibration isolating members are not satisfactory in their vibration isolating effect. It is known that the transmission of vibrations to the vehicle body may be effectively reduced by lowering the spring constant of such vibration isolating members. However, the vibration isolating members must flexibly support the drive line and suspension system, and are therefore required to have some degree of stiffness. Further, vibration isolating members having an excessively soft spring characteristic are likely to cause the vehicle body to shake or rock, for example, and thereby deteriorate the stability and controllability of the vehicle- Thus, it has been extremely difficult for such vibration isolating members to obtain a sufficiently high vibration isolating effect.